The Kia Seltos is a four-door subcompact crossover that has a grown-up style, engaging handling characteristics, and plenty of storage space. Though it’s one of Kia’s smaller crossover offerings, the Seltos borrows its looks and many desirable features from the brand’s smash-hit Telluride SUV. Featuring youthful colors intended to attract younger, bold, next-generation buyers looking to enter the crossover world, the Seltos is available with upscale features and has excellent build quality.

New for 2021, the Kia Seltos slots between Soul and Sportage.  Kia

New for the 2021 model year the Kia Seltos comes in five trims: LX, S, EX, S Turbo and SX Turbo. Two powertrains are on offer for the Seltos line: The LX, S and EX trims come with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 146 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired with a CVT (continuously variable transmission) and a choice of front or all-wheel drive. The S Turbo and SX Turbo trims get a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine rated at 175 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque that mates with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and standard all-wheel drive.

The S Turbo and SX Turbo models benefit significantly from the more powerful turbocharged engine and the dual-clutch transmission. While sometimes clunky at low speeds, the transmission sharpens once things get rolling, and the Seltos offers sharp handling in all of its forms. Though they won’t be winning any drag races, turbocharged Seltos models feel quick and lively, and make the daily commute a little less boring.

The Seltos also scores big in terms of adaptability. Around town, especially in areas with rough roads, it maintains composure and handles all but the worst imperfections with ease. It takes quite a bit to unsettle the Seltos, and the ride remains comfortable even with the larger wheels that are available on higher trim levels. On the open road, smart suspension tuning lets a tiny bit of fun sneak into the drive on twisty roads, but that same planted, comfortable ride quality remains throughout.

Fold the second-row flat and you’ve got 62.8 cubic feet of area to stuff full of groceries, antiques or adventure gear. Kia

Kia and Hyundai have mastered the art of building compelling small crossovers, and the Seltos is an excellent example of that mastery. It’s comfortable and usable in any trim level and possesses a deceptively large interior. The 26.6 cubic feet of cargo hold behind the rear seats easily store a week’s groceries and Target purchases for a family of four, which is a surprisingly high bar for a vehicle in the Seltos’ segment. Lowering the second row opens up 62.8 cubic feet of space, impressive when you consider the slightly larger Kia Sedona offers only 60.1 cubic feet.

The back seats offer 38.4 inches of headroom and 38 inches of legroom, which can accommodate most adults and large child seats comfortably in most cases. Parents will find that the large rear door openings and easy-going ride height make it easy to lift children into and out of their seats. Kids that ride in large, rear-facing car seats and even full-size front-facing seats may end up in a struggle for space with backrests for the front-seat passengers, but this is really only a problem is the person in front is over six feet tall.

Kia put that interior space to good use in the Seltos by packing it with upscale tech and class-competitive materials. An eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system is standard, but it’s the available 10.25-inch touchscreen that is the real showstopper. In such a small vehicle, the large touchscreen dominates the dash, and Kia’s excellent UVO infotainment software complements it. Menus, text, and images pop with bright colors and sharp resolution, which makes the system easy to use while the vehicle is in motion.

The instrument panel has an asymmetrical design that skews toward the driver and the seating accommodations are deceivingly spacious.  Kia

Safety is also a priority here, as most Seltos models come standard with a host of advanced driver aids and safety systems. All but the base LX trim get a driver attention warning system, forward collision alerts with vehicle and pedestrian detection, lane departure alerts, lane following, lane keeping and high beam assist as standard equipment. Top trims come with adaptive cruise control, forward collision avoidance with cyclist detection, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts and highway driving assist. There’s also an innovative safe exit assist system that warns passengers of oncoming vehicles before they open the Seltos’ doors.

The Seltos is the latest example of how Kia’s ability to blend desirable features, comfort, quality and a skosh of driving engagement into a single package while remaining on target in terms of price and utility. Sure some the plastics are a little unrefined and there’s some parts-bin sharing going on to keep development costs low, but the latter is true even of some premium manufacturers these days. The Seltos is a must-drive for anyone graduating from basic transportation into something a little more grown-up. Despite its outlandish colors and small dimensions and MSRP ($23,110 for the LX, including destination) the Seltos is a serious vehicle with a serious list of virtues.